Hi, if you read my article about microdermabrasion , you know I fell in love with another beauty blog run by 2 awesome people, myawesomebeauty.com. I subscribed to their newsletter and  found out they published a super post about body wraps. I had always heard about them but never really took the time to dig deeper.

well, I did this time and I am thrilled and absolutely want to talk about it.

You know that relaxing spa trips can rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit, but they can also drain your wallet, especially it is already very thin….

It’s hard to relax when you know that a detoxifying mud bath is going to cost you more than your monthly mobile phone bill.

Luckily, there are at-home solutions for treatments that help to reinvigorate you just like at a professional spa. One of the most popular and healthful treatments is using a body wrap. What seems like a self-mummification technique is actually a great way to heal your body while having a relaxing afternoon in your own homemade spa space.

Body wraps are essentially herbal treatments that are applied your skin for a certain purpose, such as detoxifying the skin, healing or slimming the body.

The most common way to do a body wrap is to apply your herbal mixture directly onto your skin and then put wrapping over it, but you can also soak the wrappings in the solution before you apply them. This method saves you time, but it can also be much messier. Either way, the effects will still be the same when using the body wrap.

There are essentially three different types of body wraps: 1) Detox wraps, 2) Healing wraps, and 3) Slimming wraps. Each has their own function, and the types of ingredients for each one vary.

• Detox wraps are meant to cleanse the body of impurities and toxins, drawing them out with ingredients like seaweed and mud, which absorb those impurities. After using these types of body wraps, users often feel that their skin is smoother and softer. Detox wraps are also very helpful when it comes to treating acne and blemishes on the skin that are caused by bacteria.

• Healing wraps work really well for when you’re feeling sick or a bit under the weather. Achy backs and sore muscles can really dampen your day, so these wraps come in handy. Healing body wraps can soothe those sore muscles and relieve stress, leaving you feeling better and more rejuvenated. A commonly used ingredient in these types of wraps is lavender, which has a naturally calming effect.

• Slimming body wraps help to promote weight loss. Slimming body wraps essentially squeeze your body into the shape it should be while also slowly drawing out residual water weight. These effects are temporary, but you’ll definitely notice a slimness and firmness in your shape after using these wraps. When used in conjunction with other weight loss techniques, these body wraps help to speed up the body slimming process.

Body wraps use a few healthy ingredients that are easy to find and easy to use, so instead of going to the spa, you can make your own at home. You can find loads of recipes on the internet for the different kinds of wraps; here’s one recipe for a body wrap for you to try out at home that I got from myawesomebeauty.com ! They have plenty of them.

Ingredients :

1 cup bentonite or green clay
1/4 cup sea salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Boil the water and add sea salt until it is dissolved.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Adjust the water if necessary to form a wet paste.
3. Rub the mixture over your entire body and cover yourself with thin towels or a clean white sheet. Most salons will recommend that you use bandage wraps, as the compaction helps to squeeze the tissues together for greater results. Lay in the tub for a minimum of 45 minutes to one hour.

My sister tried it with me, it was super fun to do ( a bit messy ) but we love the results. it is like a mini sauna to detox. we bothe felt very “light” and relaxed. My skin was super smooth and clean. it is basically a mask for your body that I will do probably every week.

if you try it, please share your results 😉

If you are like me, you are probably looking for skin care products to avoid wrinkles and reduce the signs of aging or to treat skin disorders like acne? sounds familiar?

It is easy, just drive to the local drug store. Once there you will find hundreds of over-the-counter products readily available. Confusing isn’t it. Before your go out of your mind trying to find the best skin care for you, try these tips that I usually give to my friends.

Learn your skin type.

Before you purchase any over the counter skincare products, you need to know whether your skin is dry, oily or sensitive.

There are five basic skin types. Go and have a look at the different methods to know your skin type in this article here by myawesomebeauty.com that I like as you know if you read some of my posts. ( I should probably do a whole article about the beauty blogs that I like) they also have an online skin type test here.

So learn what your skin type is in order to choose the proper skin care treatment. Test your skin with a clean facial tissue first thing in the morning. Wipe your face for traces of oil.

• With normal skin, the tissue will not have any traces of oil. Your skin should be supple and elastic.
• Dry skin feels flaky, dry and tight after you have wiped it with the tissue. This type of skin will need regular skin treatments with moisturizers.
• Oily skin will leave spots of facial oil on the tissue. Oily skin is a problem. It tends to break into acne and often looks shiny and greasy.
• Combination skin is the most common type. You will have traces of oil from your nose and forehead, but the rest of your skin will be clean.
• Sensitive skin is often dry and tends to feel tight and become irritated easily. Skin is often reddish with scaly areas that are itchy. Sensitive skin is the most problematic type of skin and needs very special care. To take care of sensitive skin requires research, questioning, and often a dermatologist.

Once you know your skin type, it will be easier to find the right fit for you.

Research products and check the ingredients

Focus on the skincare brands for your skin type, it should give you a smaller amount of roducts to check.

Read the labels to determine what the active ingredients are. Unfamiliar sounding ingredients should be researched.  Choose products that contain hyaluronic acid. Sounds scary, but hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that regulates cell renewal and maintains skin’s elasticity and moisture. Here is a study, I did not understand everything but that sounds serious 🙂

Retinol is an active form of Vitamin A. Look for ceramides that are lipid molecules found in cell membranes. Peptides are active proteins that instruct cells in the skin to behave. Read for alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acids that are organic acids acting as exfoliates. These are natural and good for all skin types.

Always use products that contain sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun’s rays important. Look for beauty moisturizers that contain at least SPF 15-30. Sunscreen is important in maintaining healthy and youthful skin.

Read reviews and between the lines

Check out customer reviews to get a better idea of what results others got with this specific brand you are interested in. Beware though as there are also tons of fake reviews which are only here to promote some brands even if they are ablsolutely not worth it.

Watch out for so-called “miracle products”.

If the advertisements seem too good to be true, they probably are. Search out reputable and reliable companies with product lines that have the best track records. These are the products most likely to be safe and work.

take advantae of the brands that offer a 30-60 day money back guarantee as they are probably pretty confident about their products to offer such a guarantee, it is probbaly the best way to try risk free products. if you are not satisfied, tou simply send them back to get your money. I did it 2-3 times as I was quite disappointed by some brands promoted on TV.

If really you can’t find a skincare brand that suits you, you might need some help. In that case, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to go and consult a dermatologist.  A dermatologist will probably be able to guide you and help you pick the skincare you need.

Many people aren’t a fan of someone coming at their face with a machine, but technology and research has improved so much in the last few years that many women are actually turning to machines to give them the skin that they have always wanted.

Microdermabrasion machines are the present (and future) of technology.

Here is an article that explains how it works from howstuffworks.com

I really wanted to talk about them, because since I tried it in a salon spa 2 weeks ago, I have fallen in love with this home machine that can literally transform your skin. I bought one machine after reading many reviews ( I probably spent one week to read almost 100 reviews. Most of them were complete Bullsh…, frankly why would people write such nonsense reviews? out of 100 reviews, I only found 5 relibale and useful reviews about microdermbrasion machines for home use.

I ‘d like to thank sophie and chris from myawesomebeauty.com who spent some time answering my questions about what machines I should buy. I am complete noob, so I needed some guidance. Check also their beauty blog on tumblr myawesomebeautyposts.tumblr.com for those who prefer this interface.

Thanks again guys, you rock and I love your website ( I hope mine will be as cool as yours 🙂

One of the most appreciated things about these machines are that you can use them inside your home: so no one has to see you when you don’t want to or feel uncomfortable !

They even give you the same results that you can get in a salon – so why would I pay more to get similar results.

There are a few products that offer amazing results that will rival some of the results you pay hundreds of dollars for – though they do have some drawbacks.

In case you did not check the link I gave you above, here is a quick explanation how it works.

How Do Most Microdermabrasion Devices Work?

If you haven’t seen microdermabrasion before, it might look like it is a little too crazy to work.  It works similar to chemical peels in a way, and gives you an instant facelift. However, it doesn’t actually use all of the chemicals that a peel does, so you don’t have to put anything gross onto your skin. Instead, you use tiny crystals that are injected into the epidermis so that, when coupled with the device’s suction, you gently and safely remove the top layer of skin.

But that was the old system, today we use diamond tips that will exfoliate your top layer skin, so no need to use messy crystals.

To really understand how your skin works, you need to understand how your skin is designed. You have two layers that are known as the Stratum Corneum and a New Layer. What microdermabrasion does is quickly and effectively peel back your Stratum, revealing that newer, smoother skin that is underneath.

OK, so Stratum Corneum is Bad, But the New Layer is Good?

Well, it isn’t necessarily bad: it is still your skin! However, just like last season’s hairstyle, it is important to try something new. The stratum is important to your skin for many reasons, but it also doesn’t look quite that good. It prevents vitamins and moisture from getting into your Dermis, which gives you spots, wrinkles, and a general “blah” look to your skin.

Most acne or spot treatments that you use won’t work unless they can get into your sebaceous glands, effectively stooping oil over-production and carefully removing the dead skin cells. By doing all of this, your skin is preventing the blockages that result in bumps, lumps, and marks.

Things like anti-aging creams are only effective if they can reach down into the Dermis and strengthen those muscles that keep your skin taught and prevent wrinkles. Similarly, eye creams will only work to strengthen those delicate capillaries that leak blood if they can get deep down. The list goes on for other types of creams as well: scarring cream, wrinkle cream, hyperpigmentation cream. All of these products are great, but if you don’t prepare your face or body for them, you aren’t getting the full results. That was probably what was a real eye opener to me, because I never thought of it.

By doing microdermabrasion, you give a sort of warm up to your skin. You are telling it that it is about to get something that is very good for it, and it starts to prepare. You are moving away the dead and dull skin so that the product you follow up with will have the main stage.

So, What Can a At-Home Microdermabrasion Machine Do?

They can actually work on many different skin conditions such as:

• Wrinkles and fine lines
• Whiteheads
• Blackheads
• Excess pigmentation
• Age spots
• Dull or sagging skin
• Sun damage (also called sun spots)
• Enlarged pores
• Acne and other scars
• Skin tone that is not even
• Stretch marks

Can you imagine a product that will help you with all of that? Not only will it help your skin look and feel better, but it will also allow you to get more out of your products and even eliminate some of them!

What microdermabrasion machine to choose?

well, I only tested one machine after reading the review post of sophie about her selection of best microdermabrasion machines here. If you guys need to make a choice, I recommend you their reviews, they are super detailed and reliable.

The machine that I tested is the Microderm MD (read here the awesome review that sophie wrote) , and indeed the machine was freaking awesome. My skin was super smooth and clean. My forehead was a bit rough. It was great a few days after the 2nd session.

But I could only test it for 2 sessions. so imagine if I can use it in the long run.

I will save like crazy to buy this machine for the coming christmas, or I may ask it for my 19th birthday.

What Side Effects Should You Expect?

oh my dear readers, keep oin mind that with microdermabrasion, there will be some side effects that you will have to deal with, especially at first. Your skin might be a little red and sensitive. If that doesn’t go away in about an hour, your machine may be too strong. If it is bright red, then you have too much power as well.

I was a little too greedy at first and used too much suction…. will be more careful next time.

You might also feel some tingling when you apply creams, so make sure you start with only a little to get a feel for it.

So what ?

If you want to try microdermabrasion at home, make sure you invest in a machine that is truly going to help you. Read reviews such as the ones I gave you or simply google.

Paying a difference of a few dollars might make all the difference, especially if you are already putting out money for creams and lotions.

Remember that your skin will be sensitive, so invest in the good quality creams and lotions to help you out.

And my dear readers, please let me know what you choose, it might help me with my final choice in christmas 🙂

Dark circles under the eyes? For some women, this is not a problem at all but there are those women (you’re probably one) who are, and have been, affected by this condition ever since they can remember. Discoloration under the eyes can make any woman look more mature, tired and run-down – a look that no one goes for. This is precisely why women who have this type of skin discoloration make an effort to correct the situation. Nobody wants to look like a panda!

It’s not as simple as it sounds, however. Also known as periorbital dark circles, most people think that getting rid of these is a good night’s sleep away but that couldn’t be farther from reality as most women who have dark circles under their eyes know.

This is because dark circles are not only the result of:

• Staying up late
• Sleeping less
• Stressing out too much on something
• Working too hard

And so on..

There are different factors as to why these dark circles appear. Some of these factors include:

• Aging
• Genes
• Skin tone
• Hyper pigmentation
• Diet
• Allergies

The list has more to it but this, basically, tells us that fatigue isn’t the only culprit. There are a ton of remedies available in the market like creams, peels, gels, masks and so on but only a select few really work. This is because the underlying cause needs to be identified.

If you’re decided on really going for creams or peels, we suggest not starting with those just yet. As an alternative why not try DIY dark circle removers and see if that brings you the results you want? Here’s what we had in mind:

So what are my 6 natural home remedies for dark circles?

DIY Dark Circle Remover: Nutrition Changes

1. A little bit of iron on your diet won’t hurt.

A majority of women suffer from iron deficiency or anemia. This is commonly caused by a nutritional deficiency rather than an underlying disease. As a result, this condition usually causes the skin to look pale, making the eye’s orbit or inner hallows appear more prominently. In this case a simple correction in nutrition can remedy the dark circles:

Research on foods that are rich in iron and make sure that you introduce these foods in your diet. Some examples of foods rich in iron are red meats and dark green and leafy vegetables.

2. Goodbye caffeine.

Coffee, soda and energy drinks are all rich in caffeine. Unfortunately, no matter how good they taste, they can make dark circles worse. Drinking too much caffeinated beverage causes dehydration which can worsen the appearance of dark circles.

Slowly cut back on your caffeine consumption until you eliminate it from your diet. While you’re at it, don’t forget the recommended 6-8 glasses of water a day.

DIY Dark Circle Remover: Kitchen Ingredients

3. Cucumber Circles

This one is a no brainer because we usually see this done in spas and TV commercials. Cut out two slices of cucumber to put on your eyes.

Because cucumber has skin lightening effects and mild astringent properties, it helps lighten the under eye area naturally. It also has a soothing effect on your skin.

4. Potato Slices

Cut two thick slices of potato and apply it directly onto your eye. The slices have to be big enough to cover your entire eye, including your dark circles.

The potato slices work the same way as the cucumber. The potato, however, has natural bleaching agents instead of mild astringent properties.

DIY Dark Circle Remover: Costs Next to Nothing Options

5. Chilled Spoons

Before going to bed at night, put two metal spoons in the freezer. Get them out as soon as you wake up and apply the two spoons underneath your eyes or over your eyes. Take a break if you feel like the spoons are getting too cold.

The cold will constrict blood vessels underneath your eye and make them look thinner. The cold also has a refreshing effect.

6. Ice Cubes

Ice cubes are a great alternative if you don’t have enough spoons around the house. As soon as you wake up, apply ice cubes underneath your eyes. Again, if it gets too cold for you, take a break but make sure that you’ve applied the cubes at least for 2-3 minutes under each eye.

The same principle applies. The cold constricts the blood vessels that are visible underneath your eyes because of thin skin.

Brighter Eyes through Natural Means

Aside from these 6 DIY suggestions, you may also consider drinking enough glasses of water a day, eating healthy and protecting your skin from the sun. These natural means may not give you the results you need in an instant but they do have proven long-term benefits on your skin so why not give it a go?